The present invention relates to a knitting method for disposing an unused yarn edge produced in the yarn-in operation in which a knitting yarn is newly introduced in knitting a knitted fabric by using a flat knitting machine and/or in the yarn-out operation in which the knitting yarn used in knitting is withdrawn from the knitting.
When the yarn-in operation wherein a knitting yarn is newly introduced in knitting is performed by using a flat knitting machine, an unused yarn edge on the yarn-in side is produced between an edge of the newly introduced knitting yarn in the knitting and the first loop of the knitted fabric body formed by that knitting yarn. Similarly, when the yarn-out operation wherein the knitting yarn used in the knitting is withdrawn from the knitting is performed, an unused yarn edge on the yarn-out side is produced between an edge of the knitting yarn withdrawn from the knitting and the final loop formed by that knitting yarn. After the completion of knitting, those unused yarn edges are disposed by cutting them at their portions close to the knitted fabric and also linking them into the knitted fabric with crochet needles. This disposing way of linking the unused yarn edges into the knitted fabric with crochet needles takes a lot of trouble and also has difficulties with fine stitches.
It is the objective of the present invention to eliminate the need of linking the unused yarn edges into the knitted fabric with the crochet needles mentioned above.
In the light of the problem mentioned above, the present invention provides a knitting method for disposing an unused yarn edge produced in yarn-in and/or yarn-out of a knitting yarn used in knitting a knitted fabric by using a flat knitting machine having at least a pair of front and back needle beds, either or both of which are movable in a longitudinal direction thereof, the knitting method comprising (a) the step that two or more unused-yarn-edge disposal loops are formed from the knitting yarn introduced in and/or drawn out in knitting by using an empty needle around an end side of a knitted fabric body; and (b) the step that the unused-yarn-edge disposal loops thus formed are moved and laid in order, one each, to and over loops of different courses of the knitted fabric body located at an end side thereof in knitting the next course of the knitted fabric body. According to the constitution of the present invention mentioned above, an unused yarn edge portion of the knitting yarn introduced in and/or drawn out in knitting is formed in the form of unused-yarn-edge disposal loops, which are then moved and laid in order, one each, to and over loops of different courses of the knitted fabric body located at an end side thereof, while the knitted fabric body is knitted. As a result of this, the unused yarn edge is allowed to extend in the lengthwise direction of the knitted fabric in the state of being interwoven into the knitted fabric at the end side of the knitted fabric.
In the knitting method, the unused yarn edge to be disposed is the unused yarn edge on the yarn-in side produced in the yarn-in and the unused-yarn-edge disposal loops formed from the unused yarn edge are laid over the loops of the knitted fabric body in order of from a finally formed unused-yarn-edge disposal loop to a firstly formed unused-yarn-edge disposal loop, which is one of the characteristic features of the present invention. Alternatively, the unused yarn edge to be disposed may be the unused yarn edge on the yarn-out side produced in the yarn-out and the unused-yarn-edge disposal loops formed from the unused yarn edge may be laid over the loops of the knitted fabric body in order of from a firstly formed unused-yarn-edge disposal loop to a finally formed unused-yarn-edge disposal loop, which is also one of the characteristic features of the present invention. According to the constitution of the present invention mentioned above, the unused-yarn-edge disposal loops are laid over the loops of the knitted fabric body in order of from the loop at a side far from the end of the unused yarn edge to the loop at the near side. This can allow the unused yarn edge to be held by the loops of the knitted fabric body in the state of extending substantially straight.
The knitted fabric having the unused yarn edge to be disposed may be a tubular knitted fabric whose front knitted fabric and back knitted fabric are continuously joined at both ends thereof, which is one of the characteristic features of the present invention. According to this constitution of the present invention, the unused-yarn-edge disposal loops laid over the loops of the knitted fabric body are advantageously hidden in the inside of the tubular knitted fabric.
Further, after the knitting yarn introduced in and/or drawn out is subjected to a knotting knitting to fixedly knot a basal end portion of the unused yarn edge to the knitted fabric body, the unused-yarn-edge disposal loops are moved to and laid over the loops of the knitted fabric body in order, which is one of the characteristic features of the present invention. According to this constitution of the present invention, the basal end of the unused yarn edge is fixed to the knitted fabric body by the knotting knitting, so that even when the knitted fabric is stretched, the unused yarn edge is restrained from being loosened and pulled out from the loops of the knitted fabric body.